Cleveleys artist paints recyling message

A Cleveleys artist, whose work is on display at the Grundy Art Gallery, is hoping to raise awareness of plastic pollution.

James Loy used acrylic, canvas, wood, linen, thermo forming plastic and cling film for his work titled F4W 2018, which is part of the Grundy Open 2018 exhibition at the gallery on Queen Street, Blackpool.

He said: “The work combines issues of national identity and plastic pollution.

“I decided to use the painting as a support for my impression of plastic pollution in the world today.

“The wrappings of cling film with a layering of compressed water bottles came from Saudi Arabia in 1992 where I used to work with Saudia as an Aircraft Technician.

“I was interested in recycling plastic waste for art.

“I brought the compressed water bottles back with me to Blackpool and kept them in storage for 20 years until I could find a use for them at the right moment in time.

“The handmade frame was covered in a cloth that could be used as material for making flags. I painted 200 flags on this material in various shades of grey.

“The inner painting is divided into 48 rectangles, each one having an image of the 12-week-old foetus in the womb – painted in colours from flags of the world.

“We tend to place our identity on the colours in our nations flags. Colour is important.

“The foetus is not seen until the happy birthday.

“I thought, as the unborn child is carried in the womb, why not portray the seeds of our future in colours?

“So I painted shades of grey on all the flags of the world and transferred those colours to the foetus, as a form of celebration, just as we celebrate our national flag or national identity.”